PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has filed a consumer protection complaint against a contractor and his companies for engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices directed at property owners, particularly the elderly.
According to the complaint, filed in R.I. Superior Court, Neronha accuses Michael Bresette and his companies, BTTR LLC of Providence and HAM Inc. of Cranston, violated the Rhode Island Deceptive Trade Practice Act. The court granted a temporary restraining order and the assets of both Bresette and his companies have been frozen.
According to court documents, Bresette and his companies, which do not currently have a valid contractor registration as required by law, would routinely show up at the homes of Rhode Island consumers – often the elderly – after their structures had been damaged by fire or flooding and promise restoration or renovation services.
The complaint claims that Bresette and his companies cut corners, failed to secure needed permits, performed improper work and pocketed money from homeowners or insurance payouts. The document also states homeowners were often left with incomplete, dangerous or improper restoration and construction work, and then faced court action or a potential lien on their property from the Bresette’s businesses if they attempted to withhold payment.
“When contractors ignore the law and prey on homeowners, endangering their safety, strong action by this office is warranted,” Neronha said. “The steps we took last week under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act have effectively halted the operation of the defendants’ contractor business.”
Bresette and his companies have been previously cited by the R.I. Department of Business Regulation, including the suspension of Bresette’s contractor registration and order that the companies cease in engaging in any work that requires registration. The DBR received nine complaints against Bresette and his companies in 2020.
Bresette is also facing a felony charge of failing to secure workers’ compensation insurance for his employees. The case was referred to the Attorney General by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training and is currently pending in Superior Court.
Neronha’s office has also set up a website for anyone who believes they have been victimized by Bresette or his companies.
